Central Australian Football League

Central Australian Football League
(CAFL)
Sport	Australian Rules Football
Founded	1988
Administrator	AFL Northern Territory
No. of teams	5 (Senior), 10 (Community League)
Headquarters	Traeger Park, Alice Springs
Venues	Traeger Park, Jim McConville Oval, Albrect Oval, various community ovals
Most recent; champions	Men: Federal (15); Women: Rovers (4); Community Men: Western Aranda (2) (2026) ; (2025)
Most titles	Pioneer (33) (Men's); Rovers, Pioneer (4) (Women's); Laramba (6) (Community League)
Website

The Central Australian Football League (CAFL) is an Australian rules football competition operating out of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia.^[1] Established in 1947, the Central Australian Football League is the oldest, most popular football league in Central Australia.^[2]. It is notable for producing Victorian Football League/Australian Football League players such as Darryl White, Joel Bowden and Liam Jurrah.^[3]

The home of the Central Australian Football League is Traeger Park in Alice Springs.^[4] All Senior games are played at Traeger Park, Albrecht Oval, or Jim McConville Oval. The Central Australian Football League consists currently of Senior Men's and Women's divisions, a Reserves Men's, Men's Community League, Under 18 Boys, Under 17 Girls, and Under 15 Boys.

Current clubs

Senior men

Club	Colours	Nickname	Est.	Years in CAFL	CAFL Senior Premierships
Club	Colours	Nickname	Est.	Years in CAFL	Total	Years
Federal		Demons	1947	1947-	15	1950, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1974, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2025
Pioneer		Eagles	1947	1947-	33	1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2022, 2024
Rovers		Double Blues	1947	1947-	14	1952, 1954, 1964, 1973, 1978, 1986, 1988, 1996, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
South Alice Springs (Amoonguna 1962-70)		Kangaroos	1962	1962-	7	1984, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2014
West Alice Springs (Melanka 1970-72)		Bloods	1970	1970-	8	1979, 1980, 1982, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Senior Women

Club	Colours	Nickname	Est.	Years in CAFL	CAFL Senior Premierships
Club	Colours	Nickname	Est.	Years in CAFL	Total	Years
Federal		Demons	1947	2022-	0	-
Pioneer		Eagles	1947	?-present	4	2014, 2015, 2016, 2019,
Rovers		Double Blues	1947	?-present	4	2020, 2021, 2024, 2025
South Alice Springs		Kangaroos	1962	?-2015, 2020-	0	-
West Alice Springs		Bloods	1970	2017-	0	-

Community League

Club	Colours	Nickname	Location	Est.	Years in CAFL	Known CAFL Senior Premierships
Club	Colours	Nickname	Location	Est.	Years in CAFL	Total	Years
Arlparra		Dockers	Utopia		2023-2024	0	-
Eastern Plenty (Plenty Highway 2016-22)		Swans	Hart Range		2016-2022, 2024-	0	-
Ltyentye Apurte		Eagles	Ltyente Apurte Community		2008-	3	2017 (CL), 2019 (CL), 2020 (CDSC)
Laramba (Anmatjere 2008-13)		Roos	Laramba		2008-2021, 2024-	6	2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 (CC), 2018 (CC), 2025 (CL)
Mt Allan		Eagles	Yuelamu		2019-	1	2022 (CL)
Papunya		Eagles	Papunya	1960s	2008, 2020-	3	2021 (CL), 2023 (CL), 2024 (CL)
Ti Tree		Roosters	Ti-Tree		2015-2021, 2023-	0	-
Utju (Areyonga 2011-22)		Tigers	Areyonga	1960s	2011-2023, 2025-	1	2014*
Western Aranda (Hermannsburg 2009-10)		Bulldogs	Hermannsburg		2013-	2	2016 (CL), 2026 (CL)
Yuendumu		Magpies	Yuendumu	1959	2008-2010, 2015-	2	2008, 2015 (CL)

Former clubs

Club	Colours	Nickname	Location	Est.	Years in CAFL	CAFL Senior Premierships		Fate
Club	Colours	Nickname	Location	Est.	Years in CAFL	Total	Years	Fate
Alkamilya		Panthers	Alice Springs	2011	2011-2025	3	2017, 2018, 2023	Only fielded women's team. In recess since end of 2025 season
Engawala		Crows	Engawala		2022	0	-	Left league
Mutitjulu		Cats	Mutitjulu		2022-2023	0	-	Left league
MacDonnell Districts		Crows	Papunya, Haasts Bluff	2009	2009-2015, 2017–2019	2	2013, 2018 (CL)	Split into Papunya and Haasts Bluff following 2019 season
Mulga Bore		Magpies	Engawala		2013-2018	0	-	Left league
Nyirripi		Demons	Nyirripi		2012-2021	0	-	Left league
Titjikala		Hawks	Titjikala		2012-2025	0	-	Left league
Willowra		Double Blues	Willowra		2019-2020	1	2019 (CC)	Moved to Tanami FL following 2020 season, now in Barkly Australian Football League

Premiers

List of premiers for the CAFL Premier division.

1947 Pioneer
1948 Pioneer
1949 Pioneer
1950 Federal
1951 Pioneer
1952 Rovers
1953 Pioneer
1954 Rovers
1955 Federal
1956 Pioneer
1957 Pioneer
1958 Federal
1959 Federal
1960 Federal
1961 Federal
1962 Federal
1963 Federal
1964 Rovers
1965 Pioneer
1966 Pioneer
1967 Pioneer
1968 Pioneer
1969 Pioneer
1970 Rovers
1971 Pioneer
1972 Pioneer
1973 Rovers
1974 Federal
1975 Pioneer
1976 Pioneer
1977 Pioneer
1978 Rovers
1979 West Alice Springs
1980 West Alice Springs
1981 Pioneer
1982 West Alice Springs
1983 Pioneer
1984 South Alice Springs
1985 Pioneer
1986 Rovers
1987 Pioneer
1988 Rovers
1989 Pioneer
1990 Pioneer
1991 Pioneer
1992 South Alice Springs
1993 South Alice Springs
1994 Pioneer
1995 South Alice Springs
1996 Rovers
1997 Pioneer
1998 Pioneer
1999 South Alice Springs
2000 Pioneer
2001 Pioneer
2002 West Alice Springs
2003 South Alice Springs
2004 West Alice Springs
2005 West Alice Springs
2006 West Alice Springs
2007 West Alice Springs
2008 Yuendumu
2009 Pioneer
2010 Pioneer
2011 Federal
2012 Rovers
2013 Federal
2014 South Alice Springs
2015 Federal
2016 Federal
2017 Rovers
2018 Rovers
2019 Rovers
2020 Rovers
2021 Rovers
2022 Pioneer
2023 Federal
2024 Pioneer
2025 Federal

References

↑ "Central Australian Football League | PlayHQ". www.playhq.com. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
↑ "TIO CAFL". Play AFL. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
↑ "Central Australian Football League". www.sportspanda.com.au. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
↑ "TIO Traeger Park | AFL Northern Territory". www.aflnt.com.au. Retrieved 22 April 2025.

External links

Official website

[1] "Central Australian Football League | PlayHQ". www.playhq.com. Retrieved 22 April 2025.

[2] "TIO CAFL". Play AFL. Retrieved 22 April 2025.

[3] "Central Australian Football League". www.sportspanda.com.au. Retrieved 22 April 2025.

[4] "TIO Traeger Park | AFL Northern Territory". www.aflnt.com.au. Retrieved 22 April 2025.

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Australian rules football in the Northern Territory
Governing body	AFL Northern Territory
Representative team	Northern Territory Football Club
Darwin league	Northern Territory Football League
Regional leagues	Barkly Big Rivers Central Australian Gove Tiwi Islands
Defunct Leagues	Top End Australian Football Association
NTFL teams	Darwin Nightcliff Palmerston PINT Southern Districts St Mary's Tiwi Bombers Wanderers Waratah
Principal venues	Marrara Oval Gardens Oval Nightcliff Oval Cazaly's Arena TIO Traeger Park
Related	List of VFL/AFL and AFL Women's players